CONSUMER BEHAVIOR ATTITUDES TOWARDS REUSABLE AND DISPOSABLE ITEMS: SMALL CHANGES INSPIRE BIG IDEASSarah Fischbach, PhD, Pepperdine UniversityGrace Dryer, BA Graduate, Pepperdine University

RESEARCH BACKGROUND

Our project analyzes consumer perspectives towards reusable productsto help with social change in sustainability.

Currently the California Ocean Litter Project has developed an Ocean Litter Strategy that focuses on consumer behavior research to assess attitudes toward reusable and disposable items, convenience, willingness to pay, and incentives to avoid commonly littered items (Ocean Protection Council 2019).

Our research focuses on behavior changes towards reducing single-use plastic waste focusing on the consumer perception of ‘disgust.’

Over several semesters, we collaborated with the Plastic Pollution Coalition to introduce the effects of single use plastic on the environment, planet and humans to students at the university. Our discussion begins as students watch a video narrative by Jeff Bridges, found on their website: https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/

SOCIAL CHANGE

Our research project will help achieve social change

by studying consumers biases towards reusable items.

For example, consumers perspectives towards

cleanliness has changed due to COVID-19 and the

movement away from products individually wrapped in

single-use plastic waste. Ultimately, the project will

help to better understand consumer behavior attitudes

towards single-use plastic waste and the barriers that

hold them back from using reusable products.

METHOD AND DATA

Using Qualtrics, we include the PPC “Eyes Wide

Open Video” and images of litter on beaches,

trash hurting animals such as turtles, and litter at

the bottom of the ocean.

Survey measures with questionnaire examples

(1) Green Consumer Value Questions (Haws,

Winterich, and Naylor 2012)

(i.e. “It is important to me that the products I use do

not harm the environment.” (Strongly Agree |

Strongly Disagree)

(2) Environmental Construal (futuristic outset)

(i.e. “People care about labeling anti-microbial and

health concerns.” (A great deal | Not at all)

(3) Level of Disgust and Cleanliness (Petrowski et al

2010)

(i.e. “Someone does not clean their hands after

using the restroom” and “Visit a restaurant and the

cook has a cold.” (Very Disgusting | Not Very

Disgusting)

(4) Demographic questions.

(i.e. age, gender, hometown)

Contact InformationSarah Fischbach, PhD

Assistant Professor of Marketing Comm

Pepperdine University | Seaver College,

sarah.Fischbach@pepperdine.edu

Phone: (310) 506-6745

HYPOTHESIS

H1: The more environmentally conscious the

consumer, the more likely they will be to purchase

sustainable products.

H2: Consumers with a future mindset (construal level)

will be more likely to purchase reusable products.

H3: Consumers attitudes towards cleanliness will

influence their intention to purchase reusable products

(1a) Bags. (1b) Straws, (1c) Cups, (1a) Bags (1d) Q-

tips, (1e) feminine products

PPC video “Open your Eyes,” took the PPC Pledge